Atlanta Falcons 2026 Preview: Tua vs. Penix, Best Bets & Fantasy Football | Stephie Smalls Show (Ep 257)

The Atlanta Falcons enter the 2026 NFL season with a new coaching staff, a wide-open NFC South and one enormous question at quarterback: Will Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. lead the offense?

Sports Illustrated senior betting editor and Bacon Bets Podcast host Iain MacMillan joins Stephie Smalls for a complete Atlanta Falcons 2026 preview. They break down Kevin Stefanski’s arrival, Matt Ryan’s new front-office role, the Tua-Penix competition and whether Atlanta’s roster is too talented to finish below its projected win total.

Stephie and Iain also discuss the best Falcons futures and player props, including Atlanta over 6.5 wins, Kevin Stefanski for Coach of the Year and Bijan Robinson’s receiving-yard and touchdown totals. On the fantasy football side, they examine Drake London, Kyle Pitts, Jahan Dotson and rookie sleeper Zachariah Branch before making their final Falcons record predictions.

Plus, Iain shares two Open Championship bets and explains why talking through the Falcons for 30 minutes has somehow made him optimistic again. Being a Falcons fan remains a highly experimental form of therapy.

Have a question for Stephie? Submit it for the next Ask Smalls Anything episode at SpeakPipe.com/StephieSmalls.

00:00 Falcons Preview
01:44 Looking Back at 2025
03:28 Atlanta’s New Leadership
06:20 Tua vs. Penix
12:41 Falcons Win Total
14:55 NFC South Odds
17:25 Fantasy Football Targets
18:49 Falcons WR Sleepers
20:51 Bijan Robinson Props
21:55 Stefanski COTY Bet
23:43 Final Record Prediction
24:48 Open Championship Bets
25:31 More From Iain

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